‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family

Twelve autistic adults on what changes between time with autistic people and time with neurotypical people: mostly, who has to adapt.

Crompton, C. J., Hallett, S., Ropar, D., Flynn, E. & Fletcher-Watson, S. (2020). ‘I never realised everybody felt as happy as I do when I am around autistic people’: A thematic analysis of autistic adults’ relationships with autistic and neurotypical friends and family. Autism, 24(6), 1438–1448.

Type

Journal article

Find it

doi.org/10.1177/1362361320908976

Checked

Against the abstract, 15 September 2026

Why it is on the list

Interviews produced three themes: understanding across neurotypes, being in a minority, and belonging. Participants described conforming to what neurotypical friends and family were used to, and being able to be themselves with autistic people. Week 11 uses it for who pays when one side does all the adapting.